


An assassin's advice

by Kamen_rider_Dimension



Series: Memorias Incensae Mundi [1]
Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23494084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamen_rider_Dimension/pseuds/Kamen_rider_Dimension
Summary: A full moon and a full glass made Jing Ke a happy woman. It would not do to have anyone morose on such a beautiful evening, so when her Master approaches with a clouded mind, Jing Ke tries her best to bring up his spirits once more.
Relationships: Fujimaru Ritsuka/Jing Ke | Assassin
Series: Memorias Incensae Mundi [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699516
Kudos: 9





	An assassin's advice

Jing Ke stood silent as she gazed upon the full moon that shone down upon Chaldea. The sight was a familiar one to the slender Assassin; many a time had she gazed upon that moon, whether it be in awe of its beauty or prayer for its guidance.

That there was once a time where such a magnificent sight had been lost, hidden away by the barriers that protected Chaldea from the incineration of humanity, was near inconceivable to Jing Ke. The Servant could survive a rainy night, naturally, but so long without seeing the moon would drive even Jing Ke to despair.

Despite the nostalgic skyline that enraptured Jing Ke, she was still a Heroic Spirit, and an Assassin at that. No matter how silently her Master tried to approach, Jing Ke would always notice, accepting the offered cup without words and bringing it to her lips.

"…Yuanhongjiu… For one who does not drink, you have a fine taste for alcohol my Lord." Jing Ke remarked as she gazed down into the dark liquid that filled her vessel. Glancing over, she was quietly amused to find that Ritsuka too had a cup in hand with a similarly coloured drink, the man joining her in staring into the clear night sky. "Is there to be a celebration? Or perhaps my Lord having his first taste of alcohol is celebration worthy of the drink itself."

"Sorry Jing Ke, still a minor. It's just juice." Ritsuka replied of a small chuckle, both settling into a comfortable silence.

Compared to the near-endless chaos of Chaldea, where so many Servants of different countries, tales and times collided, times of peace were few and far between. Finding a companion that both enjoyed tranquillity while remaining open enough to not be a lone wolf was far more difficult than one would expect; even then, they were usually the ones involved with keeping the more rowdy of the number in line as best as possible.

So long as Jing Ke was kept from drinking to excess however, she was more than a fine choice of company. A poet without any of the roughness now associated with other writer Servants and a warrior without the boisterous attitudes that… Well, that most of Chaldea's Heroic Spirits seemed to share -the Assassin was a wise woman with both humour and humility. When it came to advice and guidance, Jing Ke was on the same level as Xuanzang and Scathatch.

"… Say, Jing Ke. Can I ask you something a bit… Sensitive?" The last Master suddenly blurted out, Jing Ke blinking in surprise before a small smile settled on her face.

"My Lord, you have done much for me. You have listened to my ramblings, helped me bring evil to its knees and assisted me in such petty acts as untangling my hair. That's not to mention the fine drinks you have sourced for me despite their scarcity. Do not hesitate to ask anything of me." Jing Ke answered confidently, Ritsuka giving a hesitant nod.

"All right then. I'm going to try and phrase this in a way that doesn't seem too tactless, so just tell me if I'm taking things a bit too bluntly." Ritsuka warned, rubbing his hands across his face in a manner that brought concern to Jing Ke. It was an action, the Assassin had noted, that came only when the black-haired man was reaching his breaking point. She tried not to think about how often he was doing it nowadays. "When you try to assassinate the Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, the assistant that was meant to help you quit, right?"

"Indeed. I suppose I couldn't have expected anything else, not when he was a man forced upon me." Jing Ke answered as she swirled her drink, a strange combination of fond reminiscence and slight disappointment fighting across her features. "I had been waiting for a friend, one that I trusted could sacrifice his life without hesitation. Prince Dan was too hasty however and thought I'd lost my nerve; he hurried me with one of his men and doomed the whole assassination. Qin Shi Huang was a watchful man – without someone to play the sacrifice, there was never any hope of success."

"And yet you pushed forward. Even when it seemed like there was no way you are going to do it, you tried to pull the assassination off anyway." Continued Ritsuka with a chuckle of disbelief, his head hanging low as he spoke in barely more than a whisper. "Even when you knew the consequence of failure was death, you still found the strength to carry out your mission…"

Jing Ke found herself uncertain of how to respond.

Her tale wasn't exactly one of grand adventure and splendour, nor was it one that changed the face of history. In fact, the only reason Jing Ke was able to take form as a Heroic Spirit was her failure to eliminate Qin Shi Huang; had she succeeded, Jing Ke surely would have changed history, but would simply be known as one of the many assassins of Chinese history. It was her failure that made her unique enough to be inscribed on the Throne of Heroes.

To hear herself be praised so heavily even though her fame came from failure was… a strange sensation.

Admittedly, if there was anyone who was going to do so, it would be her Master, Jing Ke supposed. Ritsuka was the type to see the best in everyone, even those who were meant to be his enemies. No matter what kind of heinous deeds they might've committed in life or within the singularities, Ritsuka refused to release his optimistic view. Perhaps that was the reason why some of the less morally clean Servants chose to restrain himself.

"I was hired to do a job – no more than that. I would have been remiss in my duties had I quit then." Jing Ke mused before taking a long draw from a cup. Vain as it was, her appreciation for Ritsuka increased when, the moment she put down her cup, the Master was already moving to refill it. "Thank you, my Lord. Now, you didn't come here to hear my story. Something is bothering you."

"… How do you do it? How do you still stay confident what it feels like failure is inevitable?" Ritsuka refused to look at his Servant, keeping his head low as he muttered. "I could understand if it was when you were a Heroic Spirit, where death just means returning to the Throne of Heroes to be revived again, but it wasn't. That was when you were human, when failure meant the death of you and potentially the execution of your loved ones. How can you stay strong when you know that failure means the death of those close to you?"

"… My Lord has been through harsh times. Harsher times than any human should ever have to bear…" Jing Ke lamented with closed eyes, her drink forgotten for once as she let the cold moon's light pour down over her body. "But you have already proven yourself far stronger than I was during my life. You need not fear failure with the strength you hold. The singularities that you have resolved are evidence to that."

"It doesn't feel like it. Everyone is out there, risking their lives, fighting to save the world while I'm just standing around trying my best not to die." Ritsuka replied as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm meant to be leading them, but how am I meant to lead legendary warriors and generals that know way more about fighting than I do? I can't support them with magic, I'm a horrible mage; people are depending on me but I can't do anything to help."

"I can't deny those words. You know relatively little magecraft and it is only natural that those who have spent so long in combat are more accustomed to it than you." Jing Ke said. "But you speak as if that makes you weak, as if you have no strength at all. Only a fool believes he has no weaknesses; they do not detract from your strength at all. I believe those traits are what lead you to be a strong as you are."

Ritsuka still seemed to be in disbelief, but Jing Ke was certain that her words had pierced through to her Master. She really couldn't blame him, for if there had been in any other situation, he surely would seem like a less than ideal Master. From what Jing Ke had heard about Ritsuka's past and how he was seen, it had been the impression that most of the other mages and the director of Chaldea had. Perhaps they had been more accepting of Ritsuka, he wouldn't have been left in such a foul mindset.

"My weaknesses… make me strong? Sounds like a contradiction to me." Ritsuka said almost absently, moving his cup to his lips, only to find that he had drained its contents without thinking.

"You have not been raised in the world of a mage and thus you do not have the mind of a mage. If you did, many would fail to trust in you as much as they do now. You respect us as the people we are not the tools we are intended to be." Jing Ke continued, returning the favour by effortlessly pouring her Master a new glass. "Your humility is unrivalled, to a fault, it seems. It has calmed the hearts of Avengers and Berserkers, brought those who would never cooperate into amicable partnership. You are frail, but they desire to protect you and thus fight harder than they would for any other."

"But they shouldn't have to. I'm meant to be their Master, I'm meant to be supporting them!" Ritsuka suddenly cried out, his frustrations nearly shattering the glass he was holding. As it was, Jing Ke could only stand aside as the first tears began to roll down her Master's face. "I am a burden… Their chances of success are always getting hampered by me being there…"

"… Ah, I see. A mage who did not know of the Holy Grail Wars before Chaldea, and a heart as innocent as yours, would react like that." Ritsuka turned to his Servant, finding a pleasant smile upon Jing Ke's lips. A part of him refused to be called innocent, not after all the things he had seen in the restoration of humanity, but voicing that aloud would only provide ammunition for teasing. "Do not forget, my Lord, that I am an Assassin; this soul is only for killing. We are weapons for our Master to wield, meaning our strength is your strength. Every Heroic Spirit is summoned with the knowledge that they will have to protect their Master lest they risk their own existences by running out of magical energy. In truth, you are less of a burden than most with the sheer number of Servants you have."

Finally, it seemed that his walls had broken down. His doubts and fears appeared to have faded away, only to be replaced by sheer exhaustion as the brunette slumped against the cold metal walls. Though she doubted any other react differently in the same situation, Jing Ke couldn't help but feel a tiny bit surprised; the Assassin had assumed that his drink would help him perk up. Perhaps she had diluted it too far.

"My Lord, you still have not told me your tale. You have many successes and many… Distractions within Chaldea's walls. I doubt you would have pondered such thoughts without reason." The Assassin urged.

"Well, after all that, it seems kind of stupid now," Ritsuka said, his chuckle just a bit self-depreciative still for Jing Ke's liking. "I had a team going through one of the minor singularities – not the easiest, but definitely simpler to handle some of the singularities we've come across lately. I just… If it weren't for Kiyohime letting herself get seriously hurt, I wouldn't even be here talking to you. The reason anyone was injured was that they were protecting me. If I could get people this injured relatively simple singularity mission, what's to stop something worse from happening on a more difficult mission?"

Ah yes, Jing Ke had heard some of the infirmary staff discussing such a thing. Multiple deep wounds, supposedly from a type of ancient beast that populated the singularity. Fortunately, they had a vast plethora of Servants ready and willing to heal any injury. Nightingale, in particular, had practically set up her home in the infirmary – for better or for worse with how overbearing she could be.

"I hope you do not forget how common such a sight is, my Lord. We dance with death as if it were a close friend; the infirmary certainly does not lack in work." Jing Ke commented. "I believe I speak for us all when I say it is far better for us to chance death than you. We, who have already lived such eventful lives and already a place in the afterlife, have far less to lose than one who still has much to live for."

"it's hard to picture that though, you know? That if you die, you can just be called upon again using the summoning system." Ritsuka said with a sigh. "It's not like you're all ghosts or something… most of you at least. You bleed and feel pain like an ordinary human. If I could be even a tiny bit stronger, then maybe I would be seeing less of that blood."

"You are training with Leonidas and Medea, are you not?" The Assassin recalled at his words, yet more alcohol needed to fill her cup. "In fact, I have seen you with many a Servant my Lord, all eager to part their wisdom on to you and met the student. You will definitely become stronger with time; perhaps at an unreasonable rate with some of the Servants' attitudes, so let that ease your mind. Keep training, and place your faith in your Servants."

"…Yeah, I will. After this, I'll have to buckle down with Leonidas and Beowulf though." Ritsuka declared, his fist tightening by his side. "Even if it means running away just a little bit faster, I will do all I can to make sure nobody gets hurt again. If you Heroic Spirits are meant to be my strength, then I can't keep letting you get hurt trying to protect me."

"A noble promise, my Lord. Come, let us toast your new resolution." Jing Ke praised with a relieved smile, the sound of two glasses meeting echoing through the corridors of Chaldea, promptly followed by the foul sound of gagging and the Chinese woman's laughter. "My, what an interesting reaction! I only filled half your glass before diluting it… I believe even Ushiwakamaru has handled herself with so little."

"Well I'm not exactly a drinker and Mashu's poison immunity doesn't work unless she's in her demi-Servant form…" Ritsuka groaned, the boy trying his best to resist the urge to spit upon the floor.

As it was, the foul bitterness continued to pervade his mouth, only washed away when a chuckling Jing Ke poured him a fresh cup. Even then, the brunette made sure to watch his Servant prepare the new cup, lest she merely replace it with even more alcohol.

It wasn't an entire impossibility. Already, Jing Ke had decided to indulge as she preferred, and her cheeks had started to take a rosy tint. With how wise and humble the Assassin could be, sometimes it was hard to remember that she was also one of the hardest drinkers Chaldea had to offer. Even Drake, the self-proclaimed greatest drinker, occasionally had trouble keeping up with the Chinese woman.

"Now this is more like it. A full moon, full glass and good company! If only all nights could be spent like this!" Jing Ke cheered as the bottle beside her grew increasingly empty at an alarming rate. "Alas, I fear our stores would wither too fast. It would be a great shame if we ran dry before a celebration."

"I heard that there's a possibility for a singularity in Asia potentially China. If one does appear, I'll see what I can find." Ritsuka immediately replied prompting a confused hum from the Assassin.

It wasn't an unheard-of act, not when history would remain unaffected if it was missing a food item or garment here or there, but it was still frowned upon by their Master. 'One step away from stealing' was what Ritsuka had called it once they learned that the singularities had a knock-on effect on history and he refused the practice ever since. To hear him backpedal on his words was a strange thing indeed for one who held promises so dearly.

"My Lord, you need not. So long as it brings joy to the mind and warmth to the body, I need no special drink. I am perfectly happy with what Chaldea already has to offer." Jing Ke quickly declined.

It was the truth; ever since they saw the end of Goetia and the restoration of humanity, it had become far easier for Chaldea to access supplies that could be considered a little more luxurious. With all of the treasures that the Servants had… 'found' during the singularities before they realised what effects they were having, Chaldea had managed to accrue quite the fortune for such things – to be spent as a reward for all those involved.

"If I remember the book right, this alcohol was made quite a lot in China, right? I'm sure they won't miss one or two bottles." Ritsuka dismissed, a smile growing on his lips. "Consider it a thank you for your advice. You always seem to know what to say."

"Oh? And what would that make the first bottle then?"

"Part one of your thank you gift. You've helped me more times than I can count after all."

Jing Ke let out a hearty laugh.

"Then who am I to decline?"


End file.
